FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, June 29, 2015

Peace Corps Director Discusses the Importance of Girls’ Education at MORE Impact Awards

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 29, 2015 – Today Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet spoke about the Peace Corps’ role in the Let Girls Learn initiative and the importance of expanding access to education for girls around the world during MORE Magazine’s first-ever MORE Impact Awards Luncheon in Washington, D.C. The event, which featured remarks by First Lady Michelle Obama, honored four exceptional women who have made a significant impact in the areas of women’s and girls’ rights, health, veterans and military families, and education, both domestically and internationally.

“It’s hard to describe what it’s like to talk to school-age girls in a community where the education of boys has long taken priority,” Director Hessler-Radelet said in remarks at the luncheon. “That’s why we’re all here today – to open the door to a lifetime of learning, growth and success for girls around the world by taking action to Let Girls Learn.”

Director Hessler-Radelet’s remarks followed the announcement of “Experience MORE,” a social commerce platform launched by the Meredith Corporation, MORE’s parent company, that will support the Peace Corps’ Let Girls Learn Fund. The launch establishes Meredith Corporation as the first corporate supporter of the Peace Corps’ Let Girls Learn Program.

The event’s honorees were all women who strive to making the world a better place. The award recipients included Lillian Collins, the Founder and Executive Director of Eastside Academy, Inc.; Vivian Adhiambo Onano, Women & Girls Advocate and Youth Leader; Captain Ingrid Cook, a Pediatric Nurse Practictioner and Pediatric Nurse Specialty Leader in the Navy Nurse Corps; and Lyn Berman, the Executive Director and Founder of Attitudes & Attire.

Launched in March by the President and First Lady, the Let Girls Learn collaboration between the Peace Corps and the White House brings increased focus, resources, and impact to the critical issue of girls’ education, as more than 62 million girls around the world are not in school.

About the Peace Corps: The Peace Corps sends the best and brightest Americans abroad on behalf of the United States to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. Volunteers work at the grassroots level to develop sustainable solutions that address challenges in education, health, economic development, agriculture, environment and youth development. Through their service, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a life-long commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today’s global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, nearly 220,000 Americans of all ages have served in 140 countries worldwide. For more information, visitwww.peacecorps.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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